Me pilló la lluvia en pleno paseo!!

😂😂😂

Nótese el efecto del cambio climático en Punta Arenas (escena de partinaje en el hielo) https://cinetecanacional.gob.cl/pelicula/magallanes-film-actualidades-de-magallanes-no3/

¡Hola a todos!

Soy brasileño y voy a visitar Chile por primera vez en septiembre para asistir al WRC Rally Chile Biobío. Voy a alquilar un auto durante todo el viaje. Me gustan mucho más los viajes por carretera que simplemente ir de un destino a otro lo más rápido posible, así que me gustaría pedir recomendaciones de la gente local.

Este es mi plan por ahora:

• 6 de septiembre: Llego a Santiago a las 22:00.
• 7-8 de septiembre: Explorar Santiago y sus alrededores. El día 8 por la tarde empezaré a conducir hacia el sur.
• 9 de septiembre: Seguir conduciendo hacia el sur, tomar algunos desvíos y hacer varias paradas (aquí es donde me encantaría recibir sus recomendaciones).
• 10 de septiembre (15:00): Check-in en mi hotel en Concepción para el WRC.
• 10-13 de septiembre: Rally Chile.
• Después de eso, seguiré explorando el sur de Chile durante un par de días.

No estoy buscando la ruta más rápida hasta Concepción. De hecho, prefiero hacer desvíos interesantes si realmente valen la pena.

Me interesan especialmente:

• Carreteras panorámicas.
• Lagos, montañas o cascadas.
• Pueblos pequeños con encanto.
• Buena comida local.
• Lugares escondidos que normalmente pasan desapercibidos para los turistas.
• Sitios donde valga la pena detenerse una o dos horas, o incluso pasar la noche.
• Carreteras especialmente entretenidas para conducir.

No me interesan las grandes ciudades ni las atracciones turísticas muy concurridas. Prefiero conocer lugares que los propios chilenos recomienden o rutas que hagan que el viaje en sí sea una experiencia memorable.

¡Muchas gracias de antemano por cualquier recomendación!

Hey there!
Aussie here - does anyone know how to buy tickets for skiing in el Colorado? My hostel and the ski field contacts have not responded to my queries
Thank you

Vou viajar para o chile e vou fazer uma conexão no aeroporto da argentina jorge newbery, vou ficar por 5 horas la e tenho o ultravioleta da nubank, queria saber se vou conseguir utilizar alguma sala vip no aeroporto?

¡Hola amigos!
Mi esposa y yo estamos por vivir en Santiago. Somos de Alemania y estando de felizes de tener la oportunidad de ir a Chile y vivir una vida re feliz.
Si alguien tiene interés en nuestra vida o ser emigrante en Santiago, Síganos aquí !

https://www.instagram.com/janneundjannis?igsh=MXhnaDRjY240MjNreA==

Has anyone had their Chile visa approved recently? If so, I'd really appreciate it if you could share when you applied, what type of visa it was, and how long the process took. I'm trying to get an idea of the current processing times. Thanks in advance!

tengo un viaje programado a coyhaique y me gustaría aprovecharlo, qué panoramas me recomiendan

I am planning a visit to the Atacama Desert in two weeks and the last set of tickets I need to book is for Laguna Cejar. The tickets were finally released for July but only up through July 13. Does anyone know why tickets for the following week are not showing up as options? I am using the website lagunacejar.com and have been monitoring since June. We are self-guided with a car rental. Thanks for any info!

Hello, our family of 6 will be visiting San Pedro de Atacama for 4 nights (3.5 days) in early August, flying in and out of Calama. We were a little surprised at how high the quotes we received for tours were. A different option would be to rent a car, or two, in Calama and do most, if not all, the tours ourselves (would still need to pay for tickets). If we did hire a car(s) we may need to spend the last night in Calama - as we have an early flight and it looks like the rental places may not be open that early.

I would be grateful for any advice - including on what approach we should take, which tour company to use, and any advice on accommodation or anything else. Thank you!

Hi!  I need your help. I’m planning a 19-day trip to Chile at the beginning of November. My core goals are smartphone astrophotography (leveraging dark-sky/New Moon windows), cultural exploration, and architectural/landscape photography.

I've put a lot of time and work into structuring this to manage travel fatigue (I have had altitude sickness once before -- no fun!), include proper altitude acclimatization protocols, and ensure smooth airport transits. I'd love to get feedback from seasoned Chile travelers on the pacing, logistics, or any hidden gems I should add.

Here is the breakdown of my plan:

Trip Overview

• Timing: Beginning of November.
• Regions: Atacama Desert to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to Santiago, Valparaíso, & Central Valleys.
• Travel Style: High-flexibility flights (Premium/Full fares booked internally to secure baggage for tripods/gear and protect against airline scheduling disruptions).

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Phase 1: The Atacama Desert (Acclimatization & Peak Dark Sky)

• Day 1: Fly from a USA East Coast Airport overnight to Santiago (SCL) via Miami.
• Day 2: Arrival & Altitude Protocol
• Land at SCL at 9:00 AM. Built-in 6-hour buffer at the airport to safeguard against international delays.
• Afternoon flight to Calama (CJC), arriving around 5:30 PM.
• Take a shared shuttle from Calama to San Pedro de Atacama (approx. 1.5 hours, ~2,400m altitude).
• Protocol: Begin a strict 48-hour hydration and low-activity protocol to acclimatize properly.
• Day 3: Atacama Acclimatization Rest Day
• Rest, hydrate, and limit activity to local, easy walking and location scouting around San Pedro.
• Day 4: Peak Stargazing Tour
• Light local exploration during the day.
• 9:00 PM: Group English stargazing tour with Space Obs (perfect timing as it falls 2 days before the New Moon, guaranteeing ink-black skies).
• Day 5: Desert Exploration 
• Daytime exploring local landscapes and back-road photography.
• Day 6: New Moon Night Photography   
• Peak New Moon night. Dedicated window for independent smartphone wide-field astrophotography around San Pedro.
• Day 7: Travel Back to Santiago (Fatigue Mitigation)   
• Morning flight from Calama (CJC) back to Santiago (SCL).
• Check into an airport hotel (Holiday Inn SCL Airport) to rest, recover, and break up the exhausting travel segments before the flight to Rapa Nui the next morning.

Phase 2: Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Celestial & Cultural Loop

• Day 8: Fly SCL to Rapa Nui (IPC)
• Morning flight from Santiago to Easter Island (arriving around noon).

• Check into a SERNATUR-certified guesthouse. Afternoon exploring Hanga Roa.

• Days 9 – 11: Archaeo-Astrophotography & Exploration

• Day 9: Afternoon trip to Anakena Beach (scouting Moai statues and palm groves).

• Day 10: Small-group archeo-astronomy cultural tour with a local operator for late-night authorized access to archaeological sites.

• Day 11: Sunrise photography at Ahu Tongariki; Night Milky Way photography compositions at Anakena Beach.

• Day 12: Return to the Mainland and Base Shift

• Afternoon flight from Rapa Nui (IPC) back to Santiago (SCL), landing late evening (~9:20 PM).

• Long night to new Home Base Apart hotel in Las Condes, Santiago.

Phase 3: Central Valleys, Coastal, & Urban Exploration

• Day 13: Base Shift
  • Sleep in and get my bearings
• Day 14: Valparaíso & Casablanca Valley
•  Day trip out to the coast. Shoot the colorful urban murals of Valparaíso and do some landscape/wine photography in the Casablanca Valley.
• Days 15 – 18: Flexible Day Trips   
  • Day 15: Casablanca Valley vineyard landscapes.
  • Day 16: Mountain landscape photography in the Andes Foothills.
  • Day 17: Santiago Urban Canvas (historic center, museums, street photography).
  • Day 18: Relaxed buffer day in Santiago for packing and final shopping.
• Days 19 – 20: Journey Home
  • Day 19: Late checkout. 6:00 PM Uber to SCL airport for a late-evening flight back to the US.
  • Day 20: 9-hour daytime layover in Miami (planning to buy a lounge pass to comfortably rest and charge gear) before the final leg back to the USA East Coast.

Logistics Check & Compliance Built-In:

1. Flights: All internal legs are booked on Premium/Full fares to secure high baggage allowances for my tripod and photography gear, and to provide maximum rebooking leverage.
2. Rapa Nui Entry: My accommodation is strictly SERNATUR-certified, which I know is required to pass the security gate at SCL airport. I will also have my digital FUI entry form ready.
3. Pacing: I intentionally added overnight airport hotel stay at SCL on Day 7. Day 12 is a long night to new Home Base Apart hotel in Las Condes, Santiago. I will sleep in and have a nothing-planning-afternoon.

Questions for the Community:

1. Atacama Shared Shuttles: For the shuttle from Calama (CJC) to San Pedro on Day 2, should I pre-book online with an operator like Transvip/Nomades, or is it just as easy and safe to purchase directly at the counter upon landing?
2. Santiago Hub Location: I am using Las Condes/Providia as my home base to do day trips out to Valparaíso, Casablanca, and the Andes Foothills. Does it make sense to rent a car for these specific day trips, or should I rely on private drivers/tours to avoid Santiago traffic? I prefer not to rent a car.
3. Smartphone Astrophotography: For those who have shot the night sky in Atacama or Rapa Nui, are there specific accessible coordinates or roadside turnouts you recommend for safe, independent night shooting?
4. Any gaps? Does this pacing feel balanced for the beginning of November, or is there anything major I am overlooking?

Thanks in advance for your ideas and tips!

 PS Re: Atacama Stargazing -> I made reservations a Space Obs -- not exactly on new moon but I was still it was still under minimal Moonlight: The moon will be a Waning Crescent with only ~3% illumination. It rises very late—just before dawn—meaning the sky will be completely dark for almost the entire night.

Hello fellow chileans. I plan to visit Chile from 26th of November till 7th of December. I will be with a friend, both males mid 40s. We don't speak spanish.

Apart from Santiago, in which we'll stay for a few days, what other places would you propose? Saw Valparaiso and lakes area.